


A Week

by InRetrospect



Category: Havemercy Series - Jaida Jones & Danielle Bennett
Genre: M/M, blatantly catering to myself here, don't touch this if you value your fandom experience please, in other news malahide loves christmas shopping like who doesn't
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-15
Updated: 2013-07-15
Packaged: 2017-12-20 07:57:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/884861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InRetrospect/pseuds/InRetrospect
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Malahide is insistent that Dmitri needs to cheer up and so takes him Christmas shopping.  The shopping doesn't help much, but the cute tailor does.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Week

**Author's Note:**

> I am so sorry. I just. Don't even bother reading this. I just want Dmitri to be happy okay.  
> (Thanks to [Dani](http://whisperingtoghosts.tumblr.com/) but also it's all your fault.)

**Malahide**

Although I prided myself on my ability to control my own emotions- indeed, sometimes I felt that I possessed the best self-control in all three circles of Thremedon- I know better than to ignore my feelings, since they hade a tendency of being rather accurate. I also felt, with only a little resignation, a great deal of fondness for our dear Provost. There was only a brief time of my life when I had not known him and although there were some times during the course of our friendship when I wish I hadn’t, we had always pulled through amiably, and there was never a point at which he had failed to console or enable me as a friend should. I suppose he was very much a brother to me, my dear Dmitri, and that we were the best family that either of us had ever had.

It was partially this sisterly love and concern that had us strolling down the Charlotte merchant lanes on a sunny afternoon. I’d found Dmitri still at his desk a bit after noon, having been there before sunrise, and insisted he take the rest of the afternoon off to wander the three maidens with me. His staff knew better than to argue, and so I’d swept him off for a much-needed lunch and a bout of Christmas shopping in the brisk December air. Most of this was the sisterly concern, but if I were to admit honestly, it was nice to have someone carry all of my shopping for me.

“Did you really need an entire box of scarves?” Dmitri asked, peering out from behind the parcels he was holding. Snow was starting to accumulate on the top one, falling into his hair as we walked. “A small box, maybe, with one or two, but this is a large box.”

“It gets very cold in the desert at night,” I insisted primly, snow crunching under my heels as I spun to walk backwards. The air smelt crisp and clean today, and it eased my nerves. “Besides, Kalim will appreciate all of these colours. He is a desert nomad prince, after all.”

Dmitri grunted and shifted the boxes in his gloved hands. “Yes, well, tell your desert boyfriend he can carry his own scarf collection next time.”

“Dmitri,” I gasped. “What scandalous rumours you spread. And as Provost, how dare you.” The Christmas spirit, too, was making me exceedingly giddy, and I was acting too much like Greylace for comfort. I was much more sophisticated than he, after all. Taking a deep breath of the winter air, I regained my composure and steered Dmitri by the arm. “Come, we’ll check on my dress and then you can take these home for me.”

“A new dress? I thought you just got one,” he commented.

“I did,” I told him as I pushed open the shop door, “But ‘tis the season, as they say, and it is rather my job to keep up with society, after all.”

This was one of my preferred dress shops- tucked away in Charlotte, it looked unassuming, but inside was produced finery to rival the Rue. The tailor had a minor Talent for seeing colour, but his dedication and deftness with a sewing machine were skill alone. Inside, the dress forms were decked with new pieces for patrons to pick up, and a young woman was standing on the counter, draping tinsel across shelves laden with bolts of fabric. It smelt of dye and metal, but not overwhelmingly, which was one of the reasons I had started to frequent here in the last year or so. She heard us come in and immediately leapt down.

“Hello, happy holidays!” she greeted, coming over to kiss me on the cheek. I corrected my posture and my facial expression to something more outgoing and let my voice rise slightly. She was wearing a floral perfume, not in season, but it suited her.

“Happy holidays, how are you?” I asked and let her arms go. Cheery or not, I would still prefer she kept her distance.

“Good, good, just decorating!” she told me, then looked over at Dmitri. “Oh dear, you can set those down, right on that chair over there.” She fluttered him over whist Dmitri tried not to get too close. “Oh, dear, have you been making your beau carry all your shopping?”

“What is family for?” I corrected, subtly enough. Dmitri looked a little put out now that the only chair was occupied by gifts and planted himself by the door, ready to escape. “I simply had to come in and check if my dress was ready yet,” I prodded her on. “You look terribly busy with all this holiday work though.”

She zipped out from behind the desk and called, “Oh, no worries! I’ll just go check right now.” She nearly flounced into the back room, and I let my eager front wash off for a second. Glancing over at Dmitri, he raised an eyebrow, so I offered a consolatory smile. I’d get some more food into him when we were done, that should cheer him up, if anything.

The woman came back out with some more tinsel and told me, “He’s coming right now,” before proceeding to leap back on the desk and continue her decorating. I was prepared to wait a few minutes- he was so often in the middle of something important when I called- but it was only a second or so before I heard footsteps approaching from the back.

When he came around the corner, the bolt of lace on his shoulder thwapped against the doorframe and nearly sent him off-balance. Draped in his arms was a white dress- for the coming-out ball, no doubt- with a sewing hoop currently on the bodice, stitching the lace in by hand. He took a moment to regain his balance, then smiled and came over.

“Hey, Malahide, how are you?” he greeted, and I offered my hand, which he shook gently. The scent of fresh cotton lingered only slightly, but I took it in, feeling a familiarity wash over me. “Doing well?”

“Good, thank you,” I told him, adding a smile for good measure. He wasn’t always the best at picking up social cues, this tailor of mine, but he was still a kind conversationalist, so I always endeavored to make it easy for him. I could talk candidly around him, and it was a refreshing change I wanted to keep. “Dmitri, this is Noel,” I offered, turning slightly. “Noel, this is Dmitri. Usually he’s the Provost, but he’s off-shift right now, so he’s carrying my things for me.”

“Nice to meet you,” Noel smiled after a beat, stretching a hand out and trying not to drop the dress.

I was nearly shocked when Dmitri offered a small smile in return, but then again, his manners never failed him. “Likewise,” was all he said, but the handshake was slow and curious. After a moment, I felt the need to turn the conversation back to it’s original topic.

“I was hoping I could see the progress on my dress? We were in the neighbourhood,” I told the side of Noel’s face.

He turned back, his mouth open a little, before grinning and telling me, “Sure, it’s done. Here, I’ll…” He fumbled with the dress a little, dropping Dmitri’s hand, then deposited it on the counter and went to the other side of the room. I followed with Dmitri and repressed a sigh. I knew that our Provost was a handsome man, and could be rather intimidating even with a coat over his uniform, but I dearly hoped Noel wasn’t going to be too distracted. He was dealing with my dress and I wanted it to stay pristine.

When he pulled the dress form out for my inspection, though, my fears were assuaged. The shade of purple was rich and the ruffles minimal, simply enough to accentuate what features I wanted to highlight. Not only that, but I could spy bulges where it would be incredibly convenient to place pockets. He knew me too well. “Splendid, Noel,” I told him.

He bashfully ignored the compliment and said, “I’m glad you went with that shade. It’ll look nice on you.” The back of the dress was unlaced, so he simply hauled it up and over, taking it behind the nearest counter and snagging a box. It was a bit of work getting the skirt in, since they were so large this season, but Dmitri lent a hand and soon it was packed up for me. I nearly raised an eyebrow- Dmitri never helped me pack my dresses, what with his lack of knowledge and disdain for high fashion. Indeed, he was watching Noel the entire time, not even paying attention to making sure my dress was in order. Allowing myself a small sigh, I simply decided I’d have to let them get it out of their system, or else Dmitri would be insufferable.

“Good, I was in need of a new party piece,” I told him, leaning on the counter in an expression of complete casualness. “So is he, but he won’t admit it.”

Dmitri started and said, “I do not.”

“You’re wearing your uniform off-duty,” I pointed out, placing down a pair from my metaphorical hand of cards. “A new jacket, at least. It could be the same colour as my new dress, maybe, in case you need to be my back-up date.”

“No,” said Dmitri, looking around for help.

“Oh, I think he’d look nice in purple!” the girl on the counter piped up. “Clash splendidly against your hair.”

“No,” Dmitri repeated.

“Just because you don’t know how colours work doesn’t mean the rest of us don’t,” I chided. “You need to stop wearing neutrals all the time, it’s tasteless. Noel, surely you’re the expert here,” I asked pointedly.

Noel rubbed the back of his neck, and there was a bit of a flash in his eyes. The smell of magic was unmistakable, faint as his was, and I knew that the metaphorical cards were in my favour. “Um, actually, I think the neutrals would be nice,” he said, eyes flicking up and down Dmitri. “Navy and cream, maybe. Even a sea foam colour, it would- well, bring out your eyes, I guess.” The smell faded and he pushed his hair back, looking elsewhere.

“It’s Christmas,” I insisted, capitalizing on the moment. “It’ll be a gift. You know how I simply chafe at your terrible fashion sense.”

“’Tis the season!” pitched in the woman on the counter.

Dmitri hesitated for a second, then sighed. “If you like?”

“Very much so,” I told him, winning the metaphorical card game as I knew I would. “Something double-breasted, it would look good on you. Noel, what do you have for navy?”

“Um—“ He took the opportunity to spring up a shelf- quite literally, standing on one of the bottom supports to reach the top- and bring down a bolt, unwinding it the length of his arm and draping it over Dmitri’s shoulder. “There’s that, and for a lining…” He went down the length of the wall, considered a cream and a very light green, then took both. “This kind holds up really well,” he explained, draping them both around Dmitri like a scarf, who took to examining them. “It’s not too light, and the weave is tight enough that it doesn’t catch too easily.” For a minute, he watched Dmitri play with the silk, then carefully unwound the green one and rolled it back up on the bolt. “The cream will look better. More… simplistic, I guess.”

Dmitri finally looked up and studied Noel for a bit. I waited. “Simple is good,” he finally said in approval, and Noel’s face spread into an opened-mouth beam. I was glad Dmitri was getting some positive attention, I really was, but at this rate we would be in the shop until the sun set. I coughed, and they both shook themselves out of it. At the sight of a blush forming on Dmitri’s face, I had to fight not to cackle.

“So, um… Sports,” Noel offered as he whipped a tape and some writing utensils out from underneath the counter. “They’re starting up the big bandy tournament in the park next week, that should be good. Take off your coat?”

Dmitri did as instructed and Noel started measuring his shoulders. “I heard Ozanne and Charley from the Basquiat are on the same team this year, that should be a he—a good defensive line.”

Noel chuckled and moved to measuring his wrist. “A hell of a defensive line, yeah. They must be on the first Mirandan, though, I thought there was a full noblesse defensive line in the second team.” I tuned them out, never as interested in sports as Dmitri was. He’d been very good at them back in the orphanage, the feared quiet kid who could throw a ball very hard for whatever purpose, and apparently he was quite good during his police schooling, but I’d never paid much attention. I had no intention of feigning interest in something just because he gained some amusement in running around for hours tiring himself out. Really, I could never understand our Provost sometimes. Such a waste of energy.

“That should be good,” Noel said, interrupting my reminisces and snapping the tape back from around Dmitri’s waist. I did smile then, just a little. “I should have it ready in about a week, probably? But feel free to drop by and check in any time you like, really, we’re usually open.”

Dmitri shrugged his coat back on and replied, “Thanks. For the jacket and everything. So, a week, I’ll come back?”

I once again felt the need to interrupt before things got out of hand. “We’ll be back to pick it up, thank you, Noel.” I took my boxed dress and headed for the door, passing the woman the necessary payment on my way out. Hopefully, Dmitri would take the hint and follow.

“Have a nice afternoon, you two!” she called, and I heard boxes scraping off to my side, so I held the door and waited for Dmitri to join me. He awkwardly attempted to wave at Noel and settled for a nod, but Noel waved back anyways.

“Happy Christmas- holiday- things,” he tried to call out, then made a face at the counter. I made sure Dmitri was out the door, then ushered him down the street before any more social blunders could be made. The snow had stopped, and the sun upon my coat was a gentle warmth that made me want to close my eyes. Glancing over, I noticed his face was a little red, and I was certain it wasn’t from the nippy air.

“Would you rather I not comment on that?” I asked, a little smug in my new blackmail material.

“On what?” Dmitri instantly shot back.

“Just you flirting with my tailor.” I raised an eyebrow at him, then grinned, certain it would throw him off. I rarely smiled out of superiority, since I prided myself on my humbleness and grounded nature, but this situation called for it.

Dmitri’s flush increased. “I was- well- I didn’t flirt with him,” he grumbled. “Would you like me to take these boxes home for you?”

Rolling my eyes, I decided to give it a rest, looking down the street at what seemed to be a bustling painting of snow. “Yes, please. Let’s see if we can catch a hansom, shall we?” I would save my interrogations until next week, as soon as he got his Christmas present. That was my job as a sister, after all.


End file.
